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Happy Sunday my friends! By now you know that one of my very favorite things to do is get your book recommendations. We’ve talked about books before and you have some seriously stellar thoughts when it comes to extracurricular reading. Hearing about what you’re reading makes me feel like I get a little glimpse at your nightstand, and less like I’m sitting alone at my desk eating cinnamon rolls for dinner (although that’s not really the worst thing and I should stop complaining).
Each season of the year holds a different type of fiction on my nightstand. In the Spring I like to read inspirational books… something like This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women (which is seriously so great). In the summer I go a little lighter (in the hopes that I’ll be reading with a cocktail in hand and beach in view… something like Gone Girl is perfectly salacious. In the Fall I like to add a little weight. This year I read We Are Water and The Lowland. It’s like taking the heavy coat out of the closet in preparation.
In the Winter I like to destroy myself. I like to completely break my literary heart. I want my fiction to be heavy, with the weight of one of those kinda scratchy/almost comforting wool blankets.
I asked you what I should read if I were the sort that wanted to, you know… break my own heart. Here’s a list of some of your suggestions. I haven’t read all of these books just yet, but hopefully it’s a long winter with at least a few Sunday mornings spent languishing in bed with hot coffee and a book. Right?
Let’s break our hearts a little. This is by no means a complete list. Feel free to add to the list in the comments below.
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
The Dinner by Herman Koch
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
Cavedweller by Dorothy Allison
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
My Sisters Made of Light by Jacqueline St. Joan
Paint It Black by Janet Fitch
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green *This is what I’m reading now!
103 Responses
Thanks for the great topic and recs! More votes for The Light Between Oceans and Code Name Verity. Gorgeous, stunning, crushing! I won’t soon get over them.
Freeman by Leonard Pitts, Jr, is one of my favorite books ever. It takes place at the end of the Civil War. A freed slave looking for his wife he left behind. So well written and heartbreaking.
More books to add to my growing list.
If you are not already reading “The History of Love” begin immediately. It is the most beautiful book. I make everyone read it. Do it now!
The Fault in our Stars made me cry like a crazy person. I seriously have no idea how a person can cry so hard over an imaginary person dying. And then I made other people read it and cry over the imaginary person dying.
The Book Thief!
Really enjoyed reading everyone’s recommendations and adding loads of books to my goodreads list. Thank you! My two faves from this year were The Elegance of the Hedgehog and The Help. Not heartbreakers really but just the kind of books you want to thrust into someone else’s arms and say ‘read this, trust me.’ x
The Fault in Their Stars, literally broke my heart. I sobbed on a flight back from Venice by myself – think the stewards thought I was having a break down! God I love reading!
FoodNerd x
http://www.foodnerd4life.com
So weird! Nothing I reply or comment ever gets posted….
that seems strange. this is here.
Oh, I enjoyed The Fault in Our Stars! I would definitely recommend picking up Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro. It’s so beautifully, wonderfully sad.
Just finished The Snow Child recently. Sad but lovely adult fairy tale meets portrayal about homesteading in Alaska in the 1920s.
I’d add Joseph Boyden’s The Orenda to the list. My favorite I’ve read this year. Tragic in some ways but thought provoking and facinating.
I just read The Fault in Our Stars last week. So sweet!!
The Fault in Our Stars will definitely break your heart. I also absolutely LOVED The History of Love. I am reading The Book Thief and have a feeling it’s also going to be a heartbreaker.
Happy Reading!
They aren’t necessarily books that will make you cry, but puhlease read all of Marisa de Los santos’ books! I am a big time reader and her books really resonate with me in a big time way (and everyone else I recommend them to!) They weave together stories of strangers, best friends, neighbors, lovers and small-world moments perfectly.
Such an inspirational post, Joy! For me, Christmas is a time when I find time and space for reading a good book.
It’s really hard to decide which one to read first… I think I’ll go to the bookstore and get “The Light Between Oceans”.
This is such a great collection of books. It is an inspiring post for the winter. I love Murakami’s books. They always break my heart.
Just added all of these to my Goodreads reading list! Can’t wait to check them out. I just finished reading “Under the Banner of Heaven,” and “Thunderstruck” is up nest.
the light between oceans was SO SO good. cried through the whole end but such a good story!
THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt
And two collections of short stories that are beautiful and chilling, and I cannot recommend them enough:
VOLT by Adam Heathcock
BATTLEBORN by Claire Vaye Watkins
Ahh just thinking about these is giving me goosebumps. Short stories are such a nice change of pace – check them out!!
I agree with many of those above– if you want your heart broken, THE GOLDFINCH needs to be on your list! I finished last night, its beauty wrecked me. Just brilliant and touching and I know that young Theo Decker will stay with me…
My suggestion is Maps for Lost Lovers by Nadeem Aslam. It is beautifully written and breaks your heart over and over again.
Me Before You & The Fault in Our Stars stayed with me for weeks & I still cry when I talk about them! Eleanor and Park too…definitely!!
I have read three on your list, Fault In our Stars was my favorite, I also enjoyed Light Between the Ocean. The other was Casual Vacancy and I enjoyed that one as well, though I listened to the audio version. Will have to check out the others.
The History of Love is one of my absolute favorites! SO SO GOOD!
I loved The Fault in Our Stars! :)
A few years old now and you’ve probably already read it, but “The Paris Wife” broke my heart and took a few months to repair it.
I loved The History of Love. Loved it. As for the rest, I’ve added them to my list of books to read! Thanks for the tips!
I read The Dinner earlier in the fall and it is seriously heart wrenching. It’s a VERY good read.
A Happy Marriage by Rafael Yglesias. Devastatingly beautiful story of an imperfect but loving marriage over the course of 30 years as a man looks back on his relationship with his dying wife.
I just finished Stoner by John Williams (Waterstone’s book of the year and dubbed “the greatest book you have never read”). My boyfriend asked me how it was and my only reply was “I loved it despite the fact, or perhaps because, it broke my heart”.
I just-just posted a blog about books, too.
xoxolib.wordpress.com if you’re interested.
The Maytrees by Annie Dillard. It’s a break-your-heart-build-it-back-up-again-stronger-and-heartier-than-before book. The Maytrees. Annie Dillard.
You NEED to read Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. It will destroy you in the best possible way.
Thank for this list. I am always looking for a good read and judging from the few on this list that I have read it looks like you have the same taste as me – so cool, I’ve got 10 new books to check out!! I would like to add State of Wonder by Ann Patchett, which was my favorite book this year.
Me Before You is a truly stunning book – cried my eyes out and had to read the ending about 3 times to see if I had missed anything through tears. Amazing book in fact all of Jojo Moyes books are well worth a read x
I’ve just added every single one of these to my “To Read” goodreads shelf. Thank you! x
Have you read “behind the beautiful forevers,” “state of wonder,” “the weight of silence” or “the round house”? I really liked all of those, and each is heartbreaking in its own way. I also enjoyed “the history of love” and “little bee,” but I haven’t read the others on your list. I know my mom keeps telling me to read “the light between oceans,” though, so I should probably get on that!
Read The Art of Racing In the Rain. Best book ever.
http://www.liquidsunshineak.com
I loved The Snow Child. Perfect for winter and Christmas time as it makes you believe in the power of love, of family, and of the regrowth our heart is capable of once it has been shattered.
You might also love ‘Year of Wonders’ by Geraldine Brooks – the story of a strong woman who fights for her survival against all odds. Happy reading Joy!
Don’t wallow in heartache – read PG Wodehouse and you will laugh and the birds will chirp and the sun will shine.
I read Casual Vacancy with my book club and I was the only one who loved it. Everyone else didn’t and I really don’t understand why. I thought all the characters seemed like such real people with real issues and everyone’s story drew me in.
this is how you lose her by junot diaz is an incredible series of short stories. it’s my personal favourite, but diaz also has another book of short stories (drown) and a novel (the brief wondrous life of oscar wao) that are both wonderful.
i’m such a sucker for short stories! thank you for the suggestion!
Love this… just added all of these to my reading list. I read The Fault in Our Stars this summer. What an incredible book.
If you haven’t read 11/22/63… I HIGHLY recommend it. One of the best things I’ve read in a long while.
Sometimes I can never read fast enough!
thanks lindsay! i think you’re rad!
A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini, and The Fault in Our Stars broke my heart. I’m reading The Snow Child now and it is very absorbing.
The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes is fabulous too. I haven’t read Me Before You yet, but I do already have it downloaded. :)
I read Me Before You about a month ago and completely loved it. Then I read Perks of Being a Wallflower (loved it, too!), and now I’m on The Fault in Our Stars.
History of Love is my all time favorite book, so good! Excited to try out a few of these suggestions I haven’t read!
If you’re looking for heartbreaking I strongly recommend Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt.
oh i have that book on my ipad! must read.
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey is wonderful! Purchased it at a local bookstore last spring for myself after a friend recommended it. I later met Eowyn Ivey was doing a book signing at a local bookstore and purchased one for my moms Easter Basket. She loved it!
The History of Love is one of my all time favorites!
The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time; beautiful, heartbreaking, and fascinating!
The Fault in Our Stars was so good – an absolute tearjerker. Thank you for the other recommendations! I want to break my heart sometimes, too.
So many interesting books – thanks for the tip! :-)
Are you going to be on Cooking Channel or Food Network? I swear I saw you on a commercial for one of those channels? If yes, when does it start?
Code Name Verity is my favorite heartbreaking story lately. So, so good!
I’ve done a lot of reading this year and “The Light Between Oceans” was a wonderful book and by the end I was literally sobbing. As my husband says ‘that is the sign of a great book’.
Thanks for the booklist – I read a lot ( instead of watching tv) and I’m alway looking for new titles.A book that broke my heart, has to be The Toughest Indian in the world by sherman alexie – so much pain in that book, could’nt finish it. A prayer for owen meany totally broke my heart, Even if I’m not quite sure why… And a lot of Joyce Carole Oates’ novels has heartbreaking qualities, such as ‘my sister, my love’ and ‘little bird of heaven’
Still Alice by Lisa Genova. Heartbreaking and fantastic.
Your posts about must read books and then every one’s comments about said books and then recommendations for others…make this space feel like a virtual book club that I can show up to whenever and however…and no guilt if I haven’t read the entire book yet…Just great. Thanks!
Loved The Book Thief.
I finally just read I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron. It’s not a new book, but if you haven’t read it yet, I highly suggest it. Thanks for your recommendations! Nothing better than reading a good book!
oh i have been meaning to read this book. (i can see the future where i feel bad about my neck.)
I love everything Nora Ephron wrote. Good suggestion! You should read I Remember Nothing if you haven’t yet.
You MUST read ‘Brain on Fire’. Fascinating book (autobiography/memoir) about a girl who experiences major mental illness in her 20’s with no history of it.
The History of Love is an incredible, heart-wrenching story. Beautiful writing, highly recommended!
Oh! And my favorite book of the year, The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty. SO layered.
Joy- I just did a 2013 book post on my blog w some of my faves of the year. http://Www.maisouiparis.com. Heartbreakers that come to mind are Life After Life ( Atkinson) and Someone by McDermott. Lots of good reads this past year!
The History of Love is one of my favourite books ever! It’s so so so beautiful. You should also check out Fugitive Pieces or The Winter Vault by Anne Michaels. They are some of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching books I have ever read. If you want some gorgeous, but emotionally heavy short stories, you should check out Birds of a Lesser Paradise by Megan Mayhew Bergman, Rebecca Lee’s Bobcat and Other Stories, or Lorrie Moore’s Birds of America.
I love to read and squeeze even a page or two every chance I get. I have read TFIOS several times and it breaks my heart every time. Kindle Singles are great too – I discovered Mishka Shubaly a couple of years back and really enjoy his honesty and voice. Thanks for sharing again <3
The title alone, the history of love, makes me want to read that. I loved the fault in our stars. Little bee was so so for me, but haven’t read the others- some good ones that I’ll look out for!
Casual Vacancy is one of the worst books I ever read, at least 2/3rds. I finally gave up after I realized I did not care for ANY of the characters!
Thank you!! And I felt “The Husband’s Secret” was one of the most boring, pedantic and dumbed-down books I’ve ever started! GAK!!
Me before you. Seriously, I read this one morning while I had jet lag and my husband was still asleep, and I woke him up by my sobbing!
The History of Love is my favorite! It will break and warm your heart at the same time. Enjoy :)
Oh my gosh, I just finished “Broken Harbor” by Tana French yesterday. It was so, so good. Creepy, suspenseful, gripping. I loved it. Thanks for the list above! It’s so much fun to see what everyone else is reading.
I second the suggestion for Eleanor and Park. Have chocolate and/or mashed potatoes on hand. Just trust me on that one. Also, please read Tell the Wolves I’m Home as soon as possible. Tea and cookies. Just go with it. Enjoy!
Great recommendations! I definitely like to get my read on over the holidays! :)
Thanks for the great list, Joy! My book club recently read “The Light Between Oceans” and it stunned all of us. Beautifully written and I believe it is her first book.
Definitely the John Green!! I love his writing. I had a tough time getting into JK Rowling’s book, and I SO wanted to love it! I’d recommend my novel just released but it’s not a heart-breaker… More of a Wonder Woman badassery thing…
Happy reading!
Yeah, I just read the goldfinch. Heartbreaker, but oh, so satisfying.Loved the history of love too.
YES. Finishing The Goldfinch now … heartbreaking, epic, and satisfying.
Great list to choose from, thank you! I just finished The Lowland, thought it was terrific. I found The Dinner, to be really disturbing, not heat breaking, but hey that’s me. Another book I loved – America, America by Ethan Canin.
A beautiful reading from The Fault in Our Stars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8kpmifRpgc
Ashley Clements and Daniel Vincent Gordh during “An Evening of Awesome”
Agreed, but adding a heads up for spoilers — this comes from the second half of the book.
Just finished Promise of Stardust-was crying by the third chapter!
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Read it before the movie comes out. It’s my favorite book of all time. You’ll laugh and cry.
The Book Thief was an excellent book! I absolutely loved it…even the crying felt good.
I was just coming to post the same thing. The Book Thief. Yes. It will destroy your literary heart. This book brought me the closest to actual sobbing as I’ve ever been from reading. It’s heavy, but so, so well written.
i literally never read!!! i want to get a book for christmas to get myself started! any particular recommendations for starting me off?!
mollie xoxo
molliebylett.blogspot.co.uk
Light Between the Oceans and Me Before You are BOTH excellent books! I read a lot, probably eight books a month, if you ever need suggestions! About half-way through an interesting and unusual book called “BRILLIANCE” by Marcus Sakey and I’m really enjoying it!
Keep reading, it opens the world!
Oh, and THE CIRCLE by Dave Eggers was not my favorite this year, but it was very thought-provoking and not a difficult read. I’d recommend it!
Pattyesq@gmail.com
I literally NEVER read!!! i want to get a book for christmas to get myself started! any particular recommendations for starting me off?!
mollie xoxo
molliebylett.blogspot.co.uk
Light Between the Oceans and Me Before You are BOTH excellent books! I read a lot, probably eight books a month, if you ever need suggestions! About half-way through an interesting and unusual book called “BRILLIANCE” by Marcus Sakey and I’m really enjoying it!
Keep reading, it opens the world!
Oh, and THE CIRCLE by Dave Eggers was not my favorite this year, but it was very thought-provoking and not a difficult read. I’d recommend it!
Pattyesq@gmail.com
Such great suggestions Joy! I love so many of those. I’d have to add Bel Canto to the list- it’s super haunting and beautiful!
Jayber Crow, by Wendell Berry. Every January. It’s amazing and heartbreaking and beautiful.
I read The Fault in Our Stars. Finished it in two days. And it did break my heart but in the best possible way.
Happy Sunday to you too! :)
This year for Christmas I’ve only asked ‘Santa’ for books, even if I study most of the day, what I want to do after it reading! I’d really like to give you all the titles I asked for but they are all italian writers, but if you speak italian let me know and I will give you all the titles ;)
https://justsem.wordpress.com/
I’m in the midst of The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud. I highly recommend her stuff. The Emperor’s Children is another Messud book that is fantastic.
you have to add Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch to this list! Be careful though, you won’t want to do anything else except curl up and read it. And, I don’t know, maybe you’ll eat a whole loaf of sourdough bread without noticing because you’re so engrossed. Hard to say.
you’re so right, The Goldfinch should definitely be on this list! also, sourdough.
love this list! the history of love is one of my all time favorites! and i recently finished the fault in our stars, so good. i love reading, but during hectics times it’s one of the last things on my mind.. definitely one of my goals for next year, spend more time reading :)
it’s totally hard to get in good reading time during the holidays. i understand.